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2021-01-27 Meeting MinutesCity of Salem Massachusetts Public Meeting Minutes Board or Committee: Design Review Board Date and Time: Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at 6:00 pm Meeting Location: Remote Participation via Zoom DRB Members Present: Chair Paul Durand, David Jaquith, Glenn Kennedy, Catherine Miller, Marc Perras, Helen Sides, J. Michael Sullivan DRB Members Absent: None Others Present: Kate Newhall-Smith Recorder: Colleen Brewster Chair Paul Durand calls the meeting to order at 6:00PM. Roll call was taken. Signs 1. 282 Derby Street, Sweet Boba Ken McTague, Concept Signs was present to discuss the project. Newhall-Smith stated that two 32-inch diameter projecting signs are proposed attached to the two existing brackets, along Liberty and New Derby Street. The sign on New Derby Street will be tucked in between the awnings. Sides noted that the proposed colors will make the sign identifiable. Kennedy noted his concern with the font and colors next to the existing awnings. Miller suggested asking the owner to match the green in the proposed sign to the green in the sign. Kennedy suggested the pink outline be removed to highlight the white around the logo. Miller asked if the signs would swing or be fixed. Newhall-Smith replied that the sign manual states that all hanging signs must be structured so they don’t sway in the breeze. McTague replied that stationary signs have a lot of wind load compared to swinging signs although a swinging sign could hit the awning like Cilantro’s sign does. He suggested tethering the sign to the building to allow some movement because a stationary sign would require bracket and new holes drilled into the brick façade. Chair Durand opened public comment. No one in the assembly wished to speak. Chair Durand closed public comment. Sides: Motion to approve with the condition that the applicant remove the pink outline. Seconded by: Jaquith. Jaquith, Kennedy, Miller, Perras, Sides, Sullivan, Durand all in favor. Passed 7-0. Miller: Motion to amend the previous motion to include that the existing brackets shall be re-used, and no additional holes could be created in the building façade. Seconded by: Sides. Jaquith, Kennedy, Miller, Perras, Sides, Sullivan, Durand all in favor. Passed 7-0. 2. 14 New Derby Street, Santander Jim Corsano, Sr. Project Manager of Santander and Attorney Adam Braillard of Prince Lobel Tye were present to discuss the project. Braillard thanked Newhall-Smith for her time and guidance. New Derby Street: Braillard stated that along this façade they are proposing to install #1) one halo illuminated wall sign at 19.16 SF within the first bay of the front façade. #2) a proposed red panel with no lettering, #3) two vinyl decals on the two doors at 3.8 SF, two red canopies to extend approximately 2-feet away from the building, #4) one blade sign at 6.25 SF with their logo. The 29 SF of signage meeting the requirements for their 32-feet of frontage. Klopp Alley: Braillard stated that the alley façade is just over 95-feet-long. Proposed is #13) one red panel with no letter with #7) a red awning below, #8) one halo illuminated sign at the middle of the building at 27.5 SF. This placement was placed for maximum visibility, due to a large tree on the corner of the alley and New Derby Street. Corsano noted that the sign would be placed below windows that were added to the middle of the façade at the second floor. Rear Elevation: Braillard stated that they’ve proposed #10) three vinyl decals applied to the rear entry door at 3.94SF, Corsano noted that since the guidelines for sign height did not allow a sign above the door so they’ve proposed #9) a square halo illuminated sign to the left of the door and below the second-floor windows and #11) an awning above the rear entry door. Board Discussion: Front Elevation: Kennedy suggested that blank panel #2 be eliminated since the awning is carrying the red color on the façade. Durand and Miller agreed. Miller suggested moving logo #1 to the blank panel of #2. Sullivan and Kennedy noted that the red canopies continuing around the corner create the consistency. Sullivan, Jaquith and Chair Durand agreed. Sides stated the tree is deciduous, so the leaves aren’t always on the trees and customers are repeat clients so less wayfinding is needed. Kennedy agreed. Perras questioned whether the awnings were necessary since Northshore bank and Bank of America have panelized signs only within the brick façade and no awnings. Corsano replied that they provide protection for a door that is only slightly recessed. Klopp Alley: Sides suggested mimicking the arrangement at the corner of Klopp Alley and New Derby by eliminating the mid-span wall sign. Jaquith agreed. Kennedy agreed and suggested making #8 into a smaller logo sign at the blank panel location of #13. Sullivan agreed with Kennedy and suggested duplicating #13 as a sign and not a blank panel and moving it closer to the rear entry. The Board agreed. Corsano noted their desire to attract vehicular traffic from the parking lot or those walking. Miller noted that a small sign on either end of the Klopp Alley façade will be visible. Sullivan suggested eliminating the newly proposed wall sign since there is already a blade sign proposed at the front façade that will result in two Santander signs placed next to one another. Kennedy replied that the wall sign will be seen from Klopp Alley while the blade sign will attract street traffic. Rear Elevation: Kennedy suggested the same size sign as #1 replace sign #9. Miller suggested reducing the size of the rear awning to match the awning size at #5, #6, # & #11 for consistency and that sign #8 is centered below the windows and its size match that of sign #1. Sides suggested the applicant submit a revised set of plans that reflects the suggested changes and agreed that a deeper awning on the rear façade may be necessary since the entry is not recessed. Chair Durand agreed. Newhall-Smith suggested sending revised plans to her to get distributed to the Board, to determine if they have any design commentary, and only the items that don’t comply can return for discussion. Jaquith left the meeting. Newhall-Smith noted that parking signs were also included but are not counted against the overall signage. The Board agreed that they had no concerns with the parking signs. Chair Durand opened public comment. No one in the assembly wished to speak. Chair Durand closed public comment. Kennedy: Motion to approve with comments and revised drawings to be sent to the Board for review with any items of concern to be continued to the next meeting. Seconded by: Sides. Kennedy, Miller, Perras, Sides, Sullivan, Durand all in favor. Passed 6-0. Projects in the Urban Renewal Area 1. 32 Lynde Street: Small Project Review – Window Replacement on a Portion of the Building’s Windows, continued from 12/16/20 Newhall-Smith stated that she hasn’t heard from applicant since the start of the new year. Sides noted that she also hasn’t heard back from the applicant. The rear of the house has 6x6 windows with grids between the panes of glass. She asked the applicant to determine if Window World could install simulated divided lite windows at the front half of the house and make the interior off-white instead of bright white. She hasn’t heard back from the applicant either. She suggested a triple track storm to help conceal the difference in the window, but that is an added expense to the owner. Chair Durand opened public comment. No one in the assembly wished to speak. Chair Durand closed public comment. Kennedy: Motion to continue to the next meeting. Seconded by: Miller. Kennedy, Miller, Perras, Sides, Sullivan, Durand all in favor. Passed 6-0. New/Old Business 1. Approval of Minutes: a. The minutes of the December 16, 2020 meeting minutes were reviewed. Sides: Motion to approve the December 16, 2020 meeting minutes as submitted. Seconded by: Miller. Kennedy, Miller, Perras, Sides, Sullivan, and Durand were all in favor. Passes 6-0. 2. Staff Updates: Perras asked about the Creative Collective restaurant survey being circulated asking restaurant owners about outdoor dining and their future plans, so they can get organized for this upcoming spring. Newhall-Smith reviewed the outdoor dining process from last year. The Board agreed that the City’s response was great. The logo umbrellas which aren’t normally allowed were allowed because they are free to restaurant owners and were needed quickly. Kennedy stated that going forward, post pandemic, the Boards should review it but not at a time of emergency. He believes there should be a time limit on when the logo umbrellas should be replaced. Chair Durand and Miller agreed. . Miller noted that sidewalk closures should be a concern since some were challenging to navigate and shouldn’t be closed long-term. Sullivan asked if there was pushback on eliminating parking space to accommodate outdoor dining. Newhall-Smith replied that there were only a few complaints. There could be a deadline on outdoor dining this season and it’s something they will need to determine since there could be more people coming to Salem this fall and during Halloween. Sides noted the previous concerns private business taking over public space. It will most likely return to a case-by-case basis. Chair Durand noted that the establishments across from the Hawthorne led to a closure of the street. Perras noted that his concern was more about accessibility, particularly when pedestrians are forced across the street and those passing Bambolina chose to walk in the street. Newhall-Smith requested the Board bring any concerns to her and she will tell the committee and other Boards. Miller noted that Crowley Cottrell Landscape Architecture has won an ASLA Honor for Success with Limited Resources, for the design of modular parklets in Peabody, MA. Perras asked if the Salem Smoke Shop signage was still in place. Newhall-Smith replied that the owner came before the SRA to discuss the painting of the façade without approval. The tenants didn’t have the sign permits listing the Board’s conditions, only a verbal direction from the Board. The SRA approved the application for painting the façade black without referring it to the DRB and the applicant should have received their permit at the start of the year. Sides stated that the Hampton Inn owner is appealing the ZBA ruling for their signage on Washington Street. She stated that the owner is relying on the fact that the DRB recommended approval of the sign design. Sides believes more clarification about jurisdiction is needed going forward. Chair Durand stated that the Sign Guidelines should be revised since sign designs and techniques have changed and the final sign worked with the building. The Board agreed. Adjournment Sides: Motion to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by: Miller. Kennedy, Miller, Perras, Sides, Sullivan, and Durand were all in favor. Passes 6-0. Meeting is adjourned at 7:30PM Know your rights under the Open Meeting Law M.G.L. c. 30A §18-25 and City Ordinance Sections 2-028 through 2-203